Sports
Soccer

Johnson breaks OCAA scoring record

Cambrian's Tiffany Johnson gathers the ball in front of the Centennial Colts goal during OCAA women's soccer action this season. Johnson, a Sudbury native, was named the OCAA women's soccer player of the year last Thursday.

Tiffany Johnson wasn't planning on playing soccer when she enrolled at Cambrian College three years ago.

The Golden Shield is thrilled she changed her mind.

Johnson became the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association's top goalscorer of all time Friday when she scored her 57th goal in a Golden Shield uniform during a 7-0 road win over Loyalist. She added another before the game was done and now sits at 58, with another two regular season games coming up this weekend.

"It wasn't the nicest goal, but it broke the record," Johnson, 25, said with a laugh. "I just kicked it to the corner of the net and it went in and I turned around a had players jumping on me.

"We were trying to think of what we would do when I got it, and when I did I didn't know what to do," she added. "The team justcame and hugged me and it was a surreal moment I guess. I think the team was more excited than I was. I was in awe I guess. My team's reaction made me more excited than I thought I would be, but it's another stepping stone for me. I set goals and the team sets goals, and when we accomplish them it feels good."

Basketball was tops for Johnson when she first came to Cambrian.

"Soccer wasn't ever a thought," said the former OCAA women's soccer player of the year. "When I started at Cambrian, I was playing basketball and wasn't even going to play soccer and I didn't think it would work out. Then when I joined the team I thought I would be a defender, but our coach saw my potential as a striker and it turns out I can score some goals. Soccer is my passion and is my favourite again."

Cambrian head coach Giuseppe Politi was thrilled to watch Johnson break the record.

"We are proud of her accomplishment and she will go down in history as the OCAA's all-time goal scorer and it's a monkey off her back," he said. "She was getting unlucky, but she has the record now and is only two goals shy of most in a season. She has 24 and the record is 26 and it would be nice to see her get that to make a memorable season for her. That record is very doable and hopefully we push for that for her."

Politi gives Johnson a ton of credit for helping lift the program to its current state of success.

"She is our captain and singlehandedly changed the landscape of our attack," he said. "She has been our MVP three years running, and opponents key in on her and hopefully her success continues because we count on her and she can be that game changer we need in the playoffs."

Johnson hopes to play a big part in another record the Golden Shield are chasing. The team has 58 goals this season and is one off the all-time mark.

"We've never had as strong a team as we have this year in my opinion and we are one goal away as a team for most goals as a team and that is a team goal of ours," she said. "It would be amazing to score that one, but to get a gold medal and go to nationals is our ultimate goal."